Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Monday on Tuesday, new craft room

Well, its Tuesday but it feels like Monday, since yesterday was a holiday. I managed to get a few things done around the house, I am most excited about my craft (aka "crap") room coming together.

Craft room before

I have been shopping for decent furniture for my little nook of the house. Folding tables work ok, but I was ready for something a little more permanent. I had decided on a sort of island counter height for scrap booking and cutting fabrics and a Sew-Ezi table for my sewing machine (which is another saga). I thought I found what I wanted, but it was over $1000 just for the project table at Pottery Barn. That wouldn't include any storage or a sewing surface. So in my quest I found an office desk and computer desk that are counter height. I could place them back to back and make a good size project table, and cheaper than PB. So I decided that was it and went to buy it. Nope, not in stock. Now I am having this instant gratification thing, so I don't want to pay and wait for it to come in. Back on line to research furniture.

I found it! Martha Stewart Craft furniture, counter height, a funky green color. Yay! But I have to order it on line and can't find out what it is made of. I don't want press board. Hmmm, this place has a store near Atlanta. Hmmm, I could also hit up a couple of other stores that aren't in Huntsville that were 10 mins from my old house in Frisco. Boy, that is a long drive 3.5 hours...... Let me think about this. If Ona were here she'd go with me! She sure is lucky to not need a road trip to visit Container Store and Ikea!

I woke up Sunday and putzed around, made breakfast for the men. The weather was not great so there would be no golfing. They would all be around the house all day. That's it, I'm going. So I left the house around 8:30. It took four hours to get to my first destination (my google maps mis-directed me slightly). Ugh, I forgot its an hour later there. I need to make some good time. So I found out that the Decorators Collection is a division of Home Depot and the only place that carries the Martha Stewart Craft line. They are also an experimental store and basically only a show room. They don't actually have the desks there and I would have to order on-line any way (uh oh, that instant gratification thing, and I just drove for 4 hours). Not a totally wasted trip. I was able to see the color of the green and what the desk is made of. Not press board, so maybe it will work, but it may be a bit too big. I purchased a set of cube shelves and basket things to go in them.

Next stop, Container Store. I love the feeling of maybe being organized. It took awhile but I got what I needed there. Some for the craft room, some for other areas. I now have nifty drawers under my kitchen sink that are all neat and tidy :0) But of course, they didn't have everything I needed. I still need three baskets for the storage drawers that will have to be ordered on line. At least I got most everything.

Desk with built in light box

Onward, to IKEA. By this time it is about 2:30 and I haven't eaten lunch. I don't like eating in restaurants much alone. But if I am going to make it through this monstrous place I need sustenance. Ikea has a great cafeteria style restaurant and they have really good chocolate cake :0) Just the thing for my continues shopping excursion.

Island project table with shelves and stools.(back half of room is the kids' area).

So with a full tummy I embarked. I got a kitchen island and two chairs (satisfying my need to have a project table now), a desk top that has a built in light box plus the legs and an office chair for my sewing center, a couple of lamps because you can always use more lighting, boxes to store cd's in, cushions for chairs, trash cans, and other miscellany. DH was a little shocked when I called him at 6:30 to tell him I was on my way home. I am excited to say that I am pleased with all of my purchases and still managed to spend less on everything than that one original table I was eyeing.

Next I plan to come up with something more attractive than the ironing board for pressing and once I find all of my scrapbooking stuff that will need to be dealt with. For now I am just excited to be able to work on my current project, the Bonnie Hunter Orca Bay mystery quilt, which is no longer a mystery because it ended Jan 1. I am on step three of eight. It is my therapy, more on that to come.

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About Me

You may wonder about the blog name. My name literally means Honey bee and the beautiful, therefore i am beautiful bee.
I am a native Floridian who was transplanted to Texas for 10 years and have been re-transplanted to Huntsville Alabama recently. I am a mom of three boys who keep life interesting. I am a wife of a hard working man who indulges me in my whims (most of the time). I am the owner of a crazy, lovable Cavaschon (half cavalier king charles spaniel/bichon frise). She is the little girl in the house even though she doesn't play the part, other than acting spoiled. I spend my spare time quilting and doing things crafty, reading, running, and discovering my new town of residence.